Hong: My Silence Is Deafening

For a moment, Babata was both shocked and delighted.

What shocked him was Vinina's talent. Something like a domain was completely beyond the scope of a Planetary-level being. A Planetary-level Martial Artist who possessed a domain, even if only at the first rank, could be called invincible within their level. If they fought desperately, it would be even more terrifying. By burning their soul and combining all their powers, their overall strength would reach an extremely frightening level!

It could be said that a Planetary-level Martial Artist with a domain was synonymous with an absolute genius!

What delighted him was that such a genius, one who would be directly recruited by any of the five great superpowers and given extraordinary treatment, had actually been taken in by the Yunmo Star lineage, which had declined to the brink of extinction.

What kind of wish-fulfillment plot was this?

After coming up from 15,800 meters underground, Vinina looked at the island in the middle of the lake, shrouded in mist, and stepped directly inside.

Along the way, several monsters lurking beneath the lake tried to turn the human walking across its surface into a meal. But against Vinina, who had already become a Planetary-level Martial Artist, killing them one by one with a spear was giving them too much credit.

In just a few moments, Vinina's combat boots stepped onto the island in the lake. She continued deeper in and soon arrived before a grove of willow trees.

At a glance, there were nine of them, all quite thick. The thickest had a diameter of more than three meters!

"What are you wasting time on with this bunch of weeds?"

Babata asked in puzzlement through the communication bracelet.

"This thing is called a Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Wood Heart on Earth."

Vinina introduced it as she stroked the thickest willow tree.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Willow Wood Spirit? Your Earth has only entered the cultivation era for a few decades at most. Where did you get ten thousand years from?"

"Haha, it's just a name."

Vinina replied with a smile. Then she tapped her communication watch a few times and made a call.

That was right. She intended to report this place to the Limit Martial Hall.

Though Babata called these things weeds, as if they were worthless, they were still extremely precious on Earth. Especially since there was a Young Moyun Vine below; that thing held enormous allure for both Hong and Thor.

"Beep—beep—"

"Hello."

A low voice came through.

"Hello, I am Vinina Polenas, a student of the Elite Training Camp."

"What is it?"

"I am applying to end my life-or-death adventure early."

"Reason."

"My strength has already broken through the War God level and reached the Planetary level. There is no longer any point in continuing my adventure on the Australian Continent."

The other end of the call immediately fell silent. Only after a long while did the voice continue.

"Send over your location. The Martial Hall's fighter will pick you up."

"May I request that the Hall Master come personally?"

"Reason."

"I discovered a large number of plant spirits on a mysterious island on the Australian Continent, more than a hundred in total. There is also a vine at the center of the island. It is very powerful, and I am no match for it."

The other end of the call fell silent again.

Plant spirits.

More than a hundred of them?

And if what she had just said was true, then Vinina was now a Council Member-level expert. Even she could not deal with that vine.

Just how powerful was it?

Could there really be such plant spirits?

"Student Vinina Polenas, are you certain this information is accurate?"

"That is: student Vinina Polenas has broken through the War God level and discovered a mysterious island containing more than a hundred plant spirits."

The low voice confirmed it a second time.

"I'm certain."

Vinina shrugged slightly and responded directly.

Of course, not being able to defeat that Cloud-Piercing Vine was a lie. But if she did not say that, why would Hong come?

As for how she would explain that she had joined the Elite Training Camp only at the end of January, had strength merely comparable to a mid-level War God when she began her life-or-death adventure on August 1, and had broken through the War God level to enter the Planetary level just four days later, on August 5?

Why the hell should she explain?

If you don't like it, come fight me!

For the current Vinina, the only things on all of Earth that could threaten her, aside from those Ancient Civilization Ruins, were Hong alone!

Not even Thor could!

At the Planetary level, someone with a domain fighting someone without one was nothing short of a crushing advantage. Although what Vinina wielded was not, strictly speaking, a true domain, but rather something similar produced by condensing Battle Intent Power, the effects were nearly identical.

Moreover, beneath the cover of Battle Intent Power, Vinina's comprehension of laws received a boost just like the Golden Horn Beast's comprehension of the Law of Gold. It would not take long before she comprehended a true domain.

By then, she would no longer need to keep her battle intent domain active.

After all, it was a consumable. The amount that could be stored in her sea of consciousness was limited.

"Please tell me the coordinates of your current location."

The low voice spoke from the other end of the call.

As a direct descendant of the Polenas Family and seventeenth on the Black Dragon Ranking of the Elite Training Camp, the information reported by Vinina Polenas naturally received the Limit Martial Hall's attention.

But this information was simply too outrageous.

The latter was still manageable, but the former...

Planetary level!

The entire Limit Martial Hall had only six in total, including Hong. Yet a sixteen-year-old girl had reached it?

At the Limit Martial Hall headquarters in Hongning Base City, Hong, dressed in black, slowly rose to his feet.

"Then let's go take a look."

Hong's fighter was simply not comparable to ordinary passenger planes in terms of speed. A journey that would take more than forty minutes by air required only five minutes for Hong's fighter, including the time spent communicating and notifying him. The blood-red triangular fighter appeared on the horizon before landing directly in front of Vinina.

Whoosh!

The hatch opened.

A tall, lean man with close-cropped hair, dressed in a black coat and black trousers, slowly stepped down. His gaze fell upon Vinina, and black radiance spread outward. Like the domain of a god, it instantly enveloped her.

Clang!

Golden spear intent surged forth as a hazy golden domain abruptly unfolded. Brilliant golden light flashed, instantly driving away the black radiance that had enveloped Vinina.

"A domain?"

Astonishment immediately appeared on the formerly calm face of the black-clad, close-cropped man.

Though he did not understand the Cultivation System as thoroughly as Babata, he had gained some understanding from Earth's ancient culture.

Because he had drawn upon China's internal martial arts, where "unity of man and flesh" was the consummate realm. The supreme "unity of heaven and man" from ancient Indian yoga legends, as well as unity of man and sword, perfected Taiji, and spiritual divinity—

All referred to this consummate realm. Beyond this realm lay the domain.

But...

Vinina Polenas was only sixteen this year!

And she had already reached and surpassed this consummate realm, entering the domain?

Had you started cultivating in your mother's womb?

For a moment, Hong's silence was deafening.